The Vikings got little production out of the No. 3 receiver slot last season, and after cutting Jarius Wright, they have a chance to try something new.

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Per ESPN's Dan Graziano, Kirk Cousins' three-year Vikings contract includes a $3M signing bonus and fully guaranteed salaries of $22.5M, $27.5M and $29.5M, fully guaranteed $500K workout bonuses each year, up to $2M incentives per year, a no-trade clause and a no-transition tag provision in 2021.

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Per a source, the Vikings are open to bringing back Jarius Wright, who was cut yesterday to create $2.64 million in cap space. Wright was going to make $4.67 million in 2018, so a return would come with a sizeable base salary drop like Latavius Murray. The role Wright had on third down and assuming the role of Minnesota's No. 3 receiver is something this team doesn't want to part with just yet if both parties can come to an agreement. Wright played in all 16 regular season games in 2017, totaling 23 percent of offensive snaps (18 catches for 198 yards and 2 TD).

Upgrading the defensive line was a priority after Minnesota's pass rush sputtered down the stretch, but Sheldon Richardson is more than a mere upgrade.

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Per ESPN's Field Yates, the Vikings created $1.15 million in cap space by restructuring Latavius Murray's contract in 2018, making him a free agent after this season. His 2018 base salary dropped from $5.15 million to $3.65 million. Roster bonuses dropped from $500,000 to $250,000; game check goes from $31,250 to $15,625; incentives dropped from $2.3 million to $1 million. His 2019 salary goes away with the restructure.

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Sheldon Richardson on how much the Vikings loading up to win a Super Bowl by signing Kirk Cousins played into his decision: "A lot. I wanted the best opportunity to win the Super Bowl and I feel like this is it. With them acquiring Kirk, talking to him, pluck his brain a little bit. Done deal."

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Vikings announce they have released wide receiver Jarius Wright. Minnesota needed to create more cap space in free agency. Two ways to do that were restructuring Latavius Murray's contract and cutting Wright, who carried a $4.76 million cap hit in 2018. Minnesota was able to free up $2.64 million by releasing the seventh-year wide receiver. With Kirk Cousins in the fold, the Vikings may look to the draft for a vertical threat in one of the later rounds and will have a good competition in camp for the No. 3 wide receiver spot that Wright held down.

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Sheldon Richardson comes to Minnesota on a one-year deal, which was his decision as confirmed by GM Rick Spielman. Why the one-year deal? "It's better this way," Richardson said. "No explanation to it... It's the best opportunity. It's the best deal we came up with." Said Minnesota gave him a better offer than Seattle.

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

With the signing of Sheldon Richardson and the confidence the Vikings have in their younger players (Johnson, Weatherly, Bower) to be a part of the D-line rotation, the Tom Johnson era is likely over in Minnesota. "I think with this signing now we're going to start honing in on other direction," GM Rick Spielman said. "Start honing in on the draft." Johnson reportedly had a visit set up with Seattle on Monday and is drawing interest from other teams.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson signed a one-year contract with the Vikings on Friday, the team announced. Richardson started 15 games for the Seahawks in 2017, missing one game with an injury.

What's next free agent domino to fall after Cousins' signing? (4:18)

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

The Vikings have made a move at defensive tackle, but it's not the big free agent (Sheldon Richardson) they're currently courting at their team HQ in Eagan. Dylan Bradley was signed this morning after spending the 2017 season on the practice squad.

Latavius Murray avoided becoming a salary-cap casualty and helped give the Vikings more flexibility going forward by agreeing to rework his deal.

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Murray's restructure is another sign the Vikings are still trying to make moves in free agency, particularly with the news of Sheldon Richardson visiting Minnesota today. Kirk Cousin's $24 million cap hit in 2018 gives them just over $26 million to play with in free agency and with contract extensions coming up. Rick Spielman said the Vikings will "potentially do one or two more things" in free agency, so they're not done yet.

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Latavius Murray has restructured his contract with the Vikings ahead of Friday's deadline where $5.15 million of his $6.35 million cap hit would have become guaranteed, sources told ESPN.

Though his three-year deal is short-term in nature, Kirk Cousins said the expectation is that he'll remain with the Minnesota Vikings "for a long, long time" if everything goes as planned.

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

On the importance of his guaranteed contract leading the way for other players to get the same, Kirk Cousins said there's nothing he can pave unless other players come after him in search of the same. "It won't matter if other players after me choose to go a different route," Cousins said. "It is what it is for my situation but players after me are going to have to decide what they want to do."

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Once the Vikings knew that they were going to clear the decks with their in-house quarterbacks and pursue Cousins, it was full steam ahead to land him. "Once you make that decision, then there's no turning back," Spielman said. "We're going to go all in and we're going to go as hard as we can with the blessing from the ownership and let's try to get it done."

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Rick Spielman hinted that the Vikings aren't done in free agency just yet, said they'll "potentially do one or two more things" but are also cognizant as they plan for extensions coming up in 2019 (Barr, Kendricks, Diggs, Hunter). Sheldon Richardson met with Spielman during his visit to Minneapolis today and I'm told the Vikings feel like they're in a good spot with the Seattle defensive tackle. As far as financial planning down the line, Spielman asserted, "we'll have flexibility."

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Mike McCartney said he and Kirk Cousins had intentions to consider a second visit, but as quarterback spots began getting filled Tuesday between the Jets, Broncos and Cardinals, scheduling other visits "wasn't necessary at that point."

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Rick Spielman explains his "lifetime deal" comment to Kirk Cousins, saying any time the Vikings strike big on a player, they're going to do everything they can to keep that player here. Especially a quarterback. "We're not doing this for a three-year (contract). We want to do this for his career."

share

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer

Cousins praised his agent Mike McCartney for helping him land his fully guaranteed deal, a vision McCartney had for years. The conversations about this free agency period began 2.5 years ago and was not a stressful process for Cousins because of the experience and trust he has with McCartney.